THE PREFACE 



.Most of the books written for children about the 

 tropics are purely romantic, and that has seemed a 

 great pity to the writers of this little book. Every 

 year, as disease is pushed back and as men understand 

 better the conditions under which they can safely 

 work near the equator, more and more rich territory 

 is open to the overcrowded colder regions. Transpor- 

 tation and communication have at the same time 

 become rapidly easier and cheaper. Many of the chil- 

 dren who read this book will come to know the tropics 

 from their own experience, and they will be happier if 

 they have not too many ignorant prejudices or roman- 

 tic dreams to set aside. 



Further, even to the stay-at-home, there is great 

 interest in the lives of plants and animals that have 

 the whole year round in which to develop; in the sub- 

 stitution of a dry season for a northern winter; and in 

 a country whose forests, streams, and hills are as yet 

 largely unchanged by civilization. 



And let us admit gladly that from the most scientific 

 point of view there is still the glamor of romance in 

 the tropics. The beauty of the golden-flowering 

 tecoma tree, the absurdity of the great bill of the 

 toucan, the drama of the long struggle between white 

 men and yellow fever — these are as keenly fascinating 

 when seen with wide-open critical eyes as ever they 

 were in any legendary tale. 



Our own experiences were made possible by grants 

 from the University of Chicago and the Bache Fund 



ix 



